


washout

by kgmps2



Category: Never Satisfied (Webcomic)
Genre: Banter, Gen, POV Second Person, Pre-Canon, anyways this takes place exactly one (1) week before canon but You Can't Stop Me, listen. I love the boys bc I love how they Are together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 11:03:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kgmps2/pseuds/kgmps2
Summary: "Thank you, ma'am."You watch as he dutifully collects a second stamp on his scorecard from the proctor, then ambles over to meet you. He's grinning - today's test was easy."So, what do you think we'll be doing next time?""You'll have to tell me, buddy. I'm not coming back next week."





	washout

“Wait, you… _lost_?”

He looks at you like you just said you were planning to move across the country, or maybe to the moon. His familiar regards you with a similar expression. You look between the three sets of eyes, then shrug.

“Huh, it looks like I did.”

You catch the frustrated face he makes as he figures out what he can possibly say to this. “That’s – that’s _unbelievable_ , Seiji. I _know_ you’re better than that!”

You shrug. You had the suspicion he wouldn’t take this as well as you did, but you didn’t expect him to freak out like this. You glance down at Junko, padding along next to you. She catches your eye and makes a face that says _I don’t know_ before you look back at Sylas.

“Yeah, probably. So what? It’s not like I was gonna _win_.”

“I _guess_ , but… it’s been two weeks! Today’s test wasn’t even _hard_! I mean, _Cedric_ passed this round, and he wasn’t even in last place!”

“ _Second_ to last place.”

He scoffs – actually _scoffs_. “You _know_ what I mean, Seiji. He’s only eleven years old, you know.”

You actually did not know this. You didn’t even know the kid’s name was Cedric. You decide not to bring either of those things up.

“Sure, and?”

“You’ve been studying magic as long as he’s been alive! So why’d he beat you at an easy game?”

“Man, what’s with all the questions? Maybe I was just–”

He interrupts you. “If you don’t want to take this seriously, I know I can’t _make_ you. But… this is _important_ , Seiji. Most people don’t get this opportunity. And I know you’re better than this!”

You wonder for a moment how exactly he would go about making you take something seriously. He’s probably right that he couldn’t.

“Well, sure, but… c’mon, buddy.” He looks at you, his expression softening a little. “It was gonna happen sooner or later. Even if one of us managed to _win_ , there’d be a round where one of us went home.”

He’s annoyed again. “What, so you threw the competition for me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t _throw_ anything, and it wasn’t _for_ anyone. I just didn’t give a shit – and that was for _me_.”

He sighs, and Fenn shifts to the other side of his head, whispering something.

“Why _don’t_ you care? I mean, I guess I always knew it couldn’t be _both_ of us, but at the same time… I dunno, I kinda figured we’d do everything together? Just like always?”

He smiles at you hopefully. You’ve never been able to say no to that face. Or be mad or sad or do anything other than laugh.

“I mean, you don’t _have_ to win.”

He laughs bitterly. “Tell that to my _dad_. Or Lapointe.”

You both grimace at that. You’d managed to let her slip your mind, and from the sound of Sylas’ voice, he had too. Well, she’s not gonna slip away again on her own.

You put on the bright, peppy voice you use with her. “Well, ma’am, you don’t _have_ to win the representative position.”

Sure enough, that gets a real laugh. He doesn’t seem to have much more to say, not for now. You’re okay with walking in silence. It’s a nice day out and your schedules are both wide open. You’re not supposed to know anything about the tests in advance, except that everyone still in will be dressing up in two weeks, but the proctors made it clear that any round could potentially last past dark. You don’t have to be _anywhere_ for a good, long while, and that suits you just fine.

It’s been a few minutes – long enough for starting the conversation up again to feel awkward, but not long enough for your legs to get tired – when you find a place to sit down. You plunk yourself down on the weathered remains of a column – Junko immediately sets her head on your lap – and he sits on a tree stump.

“Y’know, I probably wouldn’t be so easygoing about this if this all happened when Yvette first went missing,” you say. “If Eudora hadn’t unretired, I mean. I was a little bastard when I was fourteen.”

He grins. “And you’re saying that’s changed?”

“Nah, but it’s… matured? Evolved? Whatever you call it when it’s wine.” You wave your hand noncommittally. He rolls his eyes, but he’s still smiling.

“Okay, sure. What makes you a ‘new vintage,’ then?”

“Hell if I know… I mean, if I _had_ to think about it…”

“Don’t hurt yourself.”

It’s something he’s said enough times that you don’t even tell him to shut up. “I guess I… don’t really think the job’s cut out for me? I mean, it’s basically like being on the guard, but _more_ , right?”

He nods. “Right.”

“So when I was fourteen, I think I kinda… would have overlooked all the parts of the job I knew I _hated_ , ‘cause the _title_ of representative was all shiny and – well, cool. I’d get to be important and special and have books written about me, so I didn’t think about how…”

“You’d have to do all the boring government shit?”

“Yeah, and meet up with… you know. All the time. And I don’t think I really _got_ that… okay, this is gonna sound dumb, but I remember when I was a kid I asked my mom once why she doesn’t get to do whatever she wants. Like, who’s gonna arrest her, right?”

He laughs.

“And she said, well, just ‘cause she’s in charge of the guard doesn’t mean nobody’s in charge of her. I thought she meant the magistration was in charge of her, and she said I wasn’t _wrong_ but she was also a public servant, which meant she had an obligation to everyone in the city. Naturally, I asked if that meant I could tell her what to do.”

He rolls his eyes. “Naturally.”

“Yeah, she said ‘nice try’ to that. But anyways… the representative is a public servant too, right? They’ve gotta answer to the people. So I’d basically be getting my mom’s job, maybe a _little_ flashier, but I wouldn’t actually be in charge of anything.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I can’t even imagine what it’d be like if you were suddenly that busy. Or… or if _I_ was.”

“You could quit too, y’know.”

“Oh, so you _quit_ today.”

“I mean, I didn’t show up today thinking _this is the day I drop out_ , if that’s what you mean. I just… didn’t give it my all, or my half. Same as last week, but… if not today, it’d probably be next week. They’ve gotta start making the tests challenging sometime, right?”

“Yeah, but… man, aren’t you embarrassed that you dropped out _before_ they got challenging? Again, the eleven-year-old outlasted you.”

“Eh, it’s not like I’m gonna see any of them again except Philly. Talk about someone who’ll probably get beat out by an eleven-year-old.”

“Hey!”

“I’m just _saying_ that, uh… the kid…”

“Cedric.”

“Yeah, Cedric. Anyways, I’m just saying that he probably wouldn’t be entering this thing if he only had his magic for six months.”

Sylas huffs, but doesn’t say anything. He knows you’ve got a point.

“But, I mean… on one hand, I don’t really _care_ what any of them think of me, and on the _other_ , I’d rather be remembered as the idiot technically-an-adult who couldn’t win in a competition full of younger teens than have to put up with the possibility of winning.”

“You think I couldn’t beat you if you were actually trying?”

You look at him. He’s not being serious, not really – he’s already over whatever offense he took to you implying Philly wasn’t perfect, and he’s got the usual smile he wears when you’ve just said something stupid – but you feel compelled to give him a real answer anyway.

“If it really came down to just you and me, I don’t think I’d try. But… I dunno, shit happens? You could have some kind of accident that eliminated you. And… I _really_ didn’t wanna keep going. I’d rather lose the first round I couldn’t half-ass than put real effort towards winning a prize that I hate.”

“Mm.”

You lean forward, patting his leg. “Yeah?”

“When you put it that way, I almost wish I _could_ quit.”

“Nobody’s saying you can’t.”

He snorts. “Can you _imagine_ the fallout?”

“You’ll notice I didn’t say ‘oh, Sylas, let’s go straight to our dear magic teacher’s house right now to tell her the good news that I don’t have to worry about being representative anymore!’ as soon as the test was over.”

“Okay, sure, but as horrible as she is, at least when _you_ go home you don’t have to put up with _more_. My dad wants me to win almost as much as he’d resent me for it if I did.”

You look at the ground. “Sounds like no matter what happens, you can’t win with him.”

“Yeah, but… I dunno…”

“Well, what would happen if next week, you just _happened_ to be the poor sap that got sent home? As far as anyone’s concerned, that’s what happened to me today.”

“He’d be mad at me? And… okay, I don’t want to be representative. The prestige isn’t worth it, I’d probably get worked to death, whatever. But I also _care_ about doing my _best_ , Seiji. If I get eliminated, I want it to be because the other guys really were better than me. Or because the challenge was too tough. I mean…”

He sighs. “I dunno, you’ve probably got the right idea. Bail before bailing means actually giving the competition to someone else.”

You shake your head. “Nah, I see your point. Like… the challenge is kinda fun, right?”

He nods. “Yeah, and I like being _good_ at this stuff. And if I go home one day and don’t come back, my dad’ll be pissed either way. But I think… some of those guys seem like they really _are_ better representative material than me. And it’s weird, but I’m _okay_ with that. Probably because I don’t actually want the position. So… ugh, this sounded less cheesy in my head.”

You laugh. “Go on, buddy.”

“No, shut up! But anyway, I was gonna say… when I finally _do_ get dropped, as long as I know it wasn’t – I dunno, a technicality, or an off day, or an accident – I won’t mind facing my dad. Because I’ll know I got dropped for a _good_ reason, so… whenever I lose, as long as I earned it, I’ll be satisfied.”

You lean back, looking at the sky. It’s a gorgeous day, really, and probably past lunchtime by now. “You’re right. That did sound cheesy.”

He shoves you. You nearly fall to the ground, both of you giggling wildly. Junko rolls her eyes.

“Well, you don’t have to go home just yet. Wanna get lunch?”

He gets up, stretching. “Yeah, okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> so I could be working on _most cops are bastards_ but my brain gave me this instead


End file.
